The U.S. Embassy to the Holy See on Tuesday defended Pope Leo XIV after reports circulated that the pontiff had granted a special diplomatic honor to Iran’s ambassador to the Vatican, saying the recognition was part of a longstanding protocol extended to multiple envoys.

“Contrary to news reports, Pope Leo has not bestowed an exclusive special honor on the Iranian ambassador to the Holy See,” the embassy stated. “This decoration is given to all accredited ambassadors to the Holy See after 2+ years of service and has been standard practice for many years.”

The embassy added that the award “is a personal recognition and does not imply support or opposition to any policy or country,” noting that 13 ambassadors recently received the same distinction and that previous U.S. ambassadors had also been honored. It further clarified that “the decoration was not given in person by the pope.”

Iranian state media reported that Iran’s ambassador to the Holy See, Mohammad Hossein Mokhtari, received the Knight Grand Cross of the Pontifical Order of Pius IX, one of the Vatican’s highest diplomatic honors, prompting criticism online amid tensions over the Islamic Republic’s human rights record and regional activities.

Leo XIV, elected earlier this year, is the first American-born pope.

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